(Oct. 14, 2026 \/ JNS)\n <\/p>\n
On Monday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog awarded a Presidential Medal of Honor to Israel Bonds in a ceremony in Jerusalem, during which he praised its \u201coutstanding work\u201d that \u201cserves as a solid confirmation that despite attempts to isolate us, the people of Israel never stand alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two days later, on Wednesday, Mark Levine, New York City comptroller, told The New York Times that the city will not invest in Israel Bonds, citing concerns about their investment strength.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn his 10th month in office, Mark Levine has decided not to reinvest in Israeli Bonds, breaking a campaign promise on a particularly fraught issue,\u201d wrote<\/a> New York Times City Hall reporter Sally Goldenberg. \u201cHe said he still supports Israel but that the bonds aren\u2019t strong enough investments.\u201d<\/p>\n Levine, who is Jewish, oversees investments for the city\u2019s five public pension funds that hold more than $326 billion in assets. In 2023, his predecessor, Brad Lander, who is Jewish and who has accused Israel of \u201cgenocide,\u201d allowed the city\u2019s longstanding investment in Israel Bonds to lapse by declining to renew bonds that had matured.<\/p>\n At the ceremony in Jerusalem on Monday, Herzog said that \u201cthe proceeds from Israel bonds have been used to build and develop our economy, to promote advancements in science and technology and to provide a vital network of support during times of crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis has never been more evident than during the past few years of uncertainty, loss and courage, here in Israel, since Oct. 7,\u201d the Israeli president said. \u201cThe outstanding work by Israel Bonds raised $1 billion of capital in the first month following Oct. 7, and more than $8.5 billion since that dark day. To us, this serves as a solid confirmation that despite attempts to isolate us, the people of Israel never stand alone. In fact, over the past 75 years, more than $58 billion worth of Israel bonds have been purchased around the world, solidifying Israel\u2019s long-term standing in the global market and demonstrating the trust investors have in Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have repaid that trust, never once defaulting, as I am certain we will continue to do,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n In July, Dani Naveh, president and CEO of Development Corporation for Israel, the U.S. broker-dealer known as Israel Bonds, told JNS that his organization was in ongoing discussions with Levine. Investment in Israel Bonds has more than doubled since Oct. 7, 2023, Naveh said.<\/p>\n